DISCRETION IN THE DELIVERY OF PUBLIC SERVICES
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Author:
Agus Dwiyanto & Bevaola KusumasariResearch:
A Comparative Research Project on Rural Public Service and Local-Level Civil Service Reforms
Discrimination in the public services occurs when the perceptions and expectations concerning the quality of public service delivery on the part of providers on the one hand and clients on the other, are discordant and incongruent. Customers need fast, efficient and fair services, but providers in Indonesia seem to have failed to take this essential fact as a basis for their work ethic. Discrimination is widespread in the delivery of services in the Indonesia Public Services, despite official principles that guarantee equal treatment regardless of religion, ethnicity or social background. Indeed, the main victims of discrimination on the part of public service providers are clients from marginal social groups such as members of cultural or ethnic minorities or members of the poorer social classes.
The proper delivery of public services is crucial to the good functioning of society and a necessity for members of the public. Ideally, the relationship between providers and customers should be tight and cooperative. The existence of discrimination in the delivery of public services causes the state’s public administration and services to suffer from a negative image amongst member of the public. The Center for Population and Policy Studies, Gadjah Mada University in cooperation with The Ford Foundation has conducted surveys on public services performance in West Sumatra, Yogyakarta Special Region, and South Sulawesi. The survey revealed that discrimination in the public services in pervasive and widespread. []
For details, please download the Policy Brief: “Discretion in the Delivery of Public Services” No. 05/PB-E/2001.
